Local Radio Show Host Finds Love in Unlikely Place

Theirs is a decorated engagement with an element of danger.

I almost wish I could save this one for the wedding. Their August 2014 jubilee is going to be an affair not-to-be missed. Expect a truly dignified party and a Celestine union of two brave hearts who met adventitiously on the roof of an abandoned building at sunset. They were kind enough to share their story with me, having sat down over coffee on a random Monday for over an hour in the midst of an incessant run-around and grueling 3AM wake-up times. And, I am grateful but more than that, joyous over their romance which stands strong on the premise that the perfect person is out there somewhere. You will meet at a time when you may be least expecting it and when you do, your life will be changed forever.

For both Erin and Bill there is a legacy of civic responsibility that precedes them as though it were their destiny to serve. And, having been called to that destiny they strive to fulfill it on a daily basis. Between them are a decorated police officer, volunteer firefighter, councilman and fire commissioner. That doesn’t take into account Bill’s production company (he's worked hundreds of weddings during his career) and his Morning Show DJ status on the most listened to morning radio show north of New York City -k104 WSPK. Erin has inadvertently assumed a status as public persona thanks to her nearly daily mention on live radio each morning in the context of Bill’s real life supporting statements. Fans of the show will recognize a softness that has crept into Bill’s formerly dominant perspective as a harsh reality critic since meeting Erin whom he refers to endearingly as his “best friend.”

The two are an ideal match – and in many ways—though they both felt the connection early on in their Spring 2012 romance—their love is still new. They just recently merged their home lives and their pets under on roof together in Dutchess County. Several months later, Bill would begin seeking out the perfect princess cut diamond ring and asking Erin to be his forever.

The Corbett-Beale union will resonate with long time residents. Bill is the son of John Beale whose accolades include legislative service, department head of the Office of the Aging (a position he held for 12 years in Dutchess county) and furthermore designation as the youngest elected official as town assessor in Philipstown back in the 1960's. This fairs beautifully in supplement to Erin’s lineage which consists of family members who are NYPD, and her father Gary's legendary status as former Sergeant with Dutchess County Sheriff’s office in addition to his title as First sergeant with the New York Army National Guard.

"I have known her father longer than I've known her," Bill said adoringly. "As a retired sheriff he was the sergeant that started the town of Wappinger patrol. He was very instrumental in creating...shared services with the sheriff's office. I knew him when I was fire chief and a newly elected councilman. I specifically remember him before he retired as sheriff going overseas and doing one last tour in Afghanistan as a reservist. When I met Erin i said, 'You've gotta be kidding me! Gary's your father?' Gary is a legend in Dutchess county."

It's a father-and-son-in-law match made in heaven. It might be a lot to live up to, if not for the deep rooted involvement that Bill and Erin represent in their work and volunteer lives. It’s really a long list of awesome that created the perfect setting for the chance encounter that would change their lives.

How they met:

Erin, a Town of Poughkeepsie policewoman, and Bill—fire investigator with Dutchess county—came face to face with destiny on Easter Sunday in 2012 under the pretense of a call to a burning building at an industrial complex in Poughkeepsie. When the batteries on Erin's camera went dead she was paired up with Bill and sent to the roof in order to take photos to determine whether or not a crime had been committed. This is where the story gets good. The structure they ascended was an 8 story high abandoned building which had been burned right down to the structural beams. Bill was giving Erin direction on what photos to take as she stood on the beams like a gymnast facing a dramatic fall to either side. The sun was going down, and the two were losing daylight. Erin's 15lb equipment belt was creating inequality in her balance when she realized she couldn't go any further and had to turn around to avoid a dramatic fall ten feet down.

"He so sweetly reaches his hand out and I’m thinking alright he’s going to take my hand. He goes, 'Hand me my camera back.' I thought it was funny."

That right there is what makes this work. Bill has a tough exterior, and Erin, a classic cool calm and collected petite blonde, can handle anything he, or life, throws at her. This becomes incredibly evident when Erin reveals she's just returned to police duty with a titanium plate in her neck after a drunk driver hit her head-on in the police car. She could have died. Bill stares lovingly at his future bride as he recounts for me his philosophical response to the element of danger they both face in their day-to-day commitments telling me 'everything happens for a reason.'

"We tell everyone we met on the roof of a burning building at sunset," Bill added. "In life things that happen, things that occur - there is a reason. Here we are. This is the reason why.”

The engagement:

A rainstorm in Jamaica nearly derailed Bill's plans to ask Erin for her hand at the Falmouth Port in Jamaica during a summer cruise. When she said yes the whole port crew was standing silently in the wings ready to applaud. It was a beautiful shining moment for both of them that took Erin completely by surprise.

The couple is now planning - in great detail - their August 2014 wedding. The HHV family wishes them both a lifetime of love and happiness.

** all of our 2013 engagement stories will be entered into an end-of the year fan voting contest (With the couples permission) on facebook and the winning bride will get an awesome veil and necklace set from Simply Bridal just for sharing her story! --- For an interview contact Stefanie(@)HappyHudsonValley.com -- it's free!